Editorial: Sword of Damocles

With the October international break now into its second week, Blues fans are still none the wiser as to when the independent disciplinary panel will meet to decide the punishment Birmingham City will face for breaking “Profit and Sustainability” rules.

For me, it’s an increasingly ridiculous situation.

On the pitch, Garry Monk has melded his team into a tight, hardworking outfit that are building a good run of results.

There is a feelgood factor surrounding the team and the manager we have not had for a long time.

In Monk, we have a boss who “gets” what Blues are.

There is a bond on the pitch between the players which has proven once again how a team can be greater than the sum of it’s parts.

However, off the pitch there is this horrendous “sword of Damocles” type situation of an unknown punishment hanging over the club’s collective heads.

I’m not going to go into the whys and wherefores of the P&S rules again because frankly, it’s not worth it.

However, I believe one thing I’ve been consistent about the EFL is the continuously annoying lack of transparency with respect to anything they do.

It’s not even about what level of punishment will be handed down for breaking the rules – for me, it’s about the fact we as fans have no idea right now of when and how that punishment will be decided.

I personally don’t think it is too much to ask of the EFL that they make an announcement which gives some sort of an idea of a date for the hearing, and some sort of timeframe for how long it will take to come to a decision.

If there is a reason for delay – for example, if the Blues backroom staff want more time to organise a legal defence – is it too much to ask to be told that this is happening?

From a personal standpoint, I think the lack of any information about what is going to happen is a bad thing.

I understand and appreciate that this whole process is a precedent; the first time these new rules will have been tested and that it might mean things will take a while to sort out.

However, does it really affect things so bad to make a statement that a hearing is expected in a certain month, or that additional time will be needed to confirm legal statements etc?

At least with some idea of timeframes and what to expect it’s easier for fans to understand what could happen.

The more we know, the less reason there is to worry about unknowns, and the more reason to enjoy the renaissance on the pitch – and right now, isn’t that what we all want?